WO2010006372A1

WO2010006372A1 - Pillow cover

Info

Publication number: WO2010006372A1
Application number: PCT/AU2009/000910
Authority: WO
Inventors: David Michael Kaplan
Original assignee: David Michael Kaplan
Priority date: 2008-07-16
Filing date: 2009-07-16
Publication date: 2010-01-21
Also published as: AU2009270335A1

Abstract

A pillow enclosure-casing is used to enclose a pillow or pillow-filler material. The pillow casing has a vent through which air inside the pillow case is able to escape rapidly. Aside from the vent, the material of the rest of the casing, aside from the vent, is both moisture-impermeable as well as air-vapor-permeable. This material prevents airflow therethrough, and instead only allows air to pass through by an air-transfer processes that is significantly slower than air-flow. When the enclosure-casing is pressed, the trapped air is able to escape rapidly from the enclosure-casing through the vent.

Description

Pillow Cover

Field of Invention

The present invention relates to pillows and/or pillow covers.

Background of the Invention

It is common for a person to rest his or her head on a pillow while sleeping.

Pillows are usually covered with a pillow case or pillow protector. The pillows and pillow cases are usually made of a cloth fabric, and these materials are generally porous.

It is known that a substantial amount of moisture emanates from a person's head, and this moisture can end up being absorbed by the pillow. The moisture can originate either from the person's mouth, typically in the form of saliva, or also from the facial skin or scalp area. As a result, over a long period, this moisture can impregnate the fabric of the pillow, causing ugly staining on the surface of the pillow material.

Another disagreeable fact is that a substantial amount of skin debris comes off a person's head, and such skin debris tends to be deposited on the pillow. This skin debris can pass through the pores of the pillow fabric or pillow case, and thus accumulate inside. Anecdotally, it has been said that if the interior of a pillow is vacuumed, after the pillow has been used for several years without cleaning, there would be a considerable amount of accumulated skin debris.

Skin debris is a food-source for dust mites. The accumulation of debris inside the pillow or pillow case can attract dust mites to the pillow, with consequential disadvantages for the person's health.

An object of the present invention is to overcome or at least ameliorate one or more of the problems in the prior art, or to provide an improved alternative. Summary of Invention

According to the present invention, there is provided a pillow enclosure-casing adapted to fully enclose a pillow or pillow-filler material inserted therein, the enclosure- casing comprising: a vent-arrangement through which air, that is trapped in the enclosure-casing when the pillow or filler is inserted and sealed therein, is able to escape rapidly therefrom; wherein the material of the rest of the enclosure-casing, aside from the vent- arrangement, is a material that is both moisture-impermeable as well as air- vapor- permeable; and wherein the material of the rest of the enclosure-casing, aside from the vent- arrangement, prevents airflow therethrough, and instead only allows air to pass therethrough by an air-transfer processes that is significantly slower than air-flow; and wherein the vent-arrangement comprises material which has a composition that allows faster air-throughput therethrough compared to air-throughput capability of the material of the rest of the enclosure-casing such that, in use, when the enclosure- casing is pressed, the trapped air is able to escape rapidly from the enclosure-casing through the vent-arrangement.

Preferably, the vent-arrangement comprises a fabric material through which any trapped air in the enclosure-casing can flow therethrough to exit the enclosure-casing substantially faster through the vent-arrangement compared to the significantly slower rate of air-transfer achievable through the material of the rest of the enclosure-casing. Preferably, the vent-arrangement is in the form of a fabric vent through which air can flow, and which fabric vent is made entirely of fabric and is therefore devoid of any structural or other physical components aside from the fabric material of the vent- arrangement.

Preferably, the material of the vent-arrangement and the material of the rest of the enclosure-casing, aside from the vent-arrangement, are both provided with identical color, pattern and ornamentation in order to not provide a visual indication to the user that the two materials are different.

Preferably, the material of the rest of the enclosure-casing, aside from the vent- arrangement, functions as a breathable, waterproof, liquid-and-skin-particle-barrier capable of preventing passage of liquid and skin particles therethrough into the interior of the enclosure-casing, while its air-permeability allows air to enter the pillow enclosure- casing interior.

The air-transfer processes may be significantly slower than air-flow and preferably is, or is akin to, osmosis and/or diffusion. Preferably, the material of the rest of the enclosure-casing, aside from the vent- arrangement, comprises a polyurethane sheet material laminated to a fabric-layer.

Preferably, the fabric-layer is a knitted fibre made of eucalyptus wood material.

Preferably, the pillow enclosure-casing comprises an insertion-arrangement which includes a sealable opening through which the pillow or filler is able to be inserted into and sealed in the interior of the enclosure-casing.

The insertion-arrangement may be at a distal end of the enclosure-casing, and the vent-arrangement is the opposite distal end of the enclosure-casing.

The insertion-arrangement may comprise a zipper.

Preferably, the vent-arrangement is located on a lateral surface of the enclosure- casing.

Preferably, the amount of pillow-filler, or the amount of pillow-filler in the pillow that is inserted, can be varied by the user to vary the size of the pillow enclosure-casing in use.

Preferably, the trapped air is able to escape rapidly when the enclosure-casing and the pillow or filler therein is pressed in such a manner that air pressure in the enclosure- casing is temporarily increased. Drawings

In order that the present invention might be more fully understood, embodiments of the invention will be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of an embodiment of a pillow-cover, shown in use on a pillow;

Figure 2 is a perspective side view of the embodiment of Figure 1, seen from the same side as Figure 1 ; Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the pillow-insertion-end of the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4A shows an end view of the opposite side of the embodiment of Figures 1 to 3, namely the vent-end of the pillow;

Figure 4B is the identical view to Figure 4A, except here shown with the flap arranged in a slightly different manner;

Figure 4C is a perspective view of the embodiment of Figures 1 to 4B, oriented to show detail of the vent-end of the pillow (also seen in Figures 4A and 4B);

Figure 5 represents a notional cross-section of part of the fabric of most of the pillow-cover; and Figure 6 represents a cross-section of the material used for the fabric vent.

In this provisional patent application, the views of Figures 1 to 4C are portions extracted from photographs of an embodiment.

In the embodiments, like components are labeled with like reference numerals merely for the sake of ease of understanding the different embodiments and modifications.

Description of Embodiments

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows a side view of an embodiment of a pillow enclosure-casing in the form of a pillow-cover 10, shown in use on a pillow. (In the diagrams, the pillow is not shown since it is inserted inside the pillow-cover 10).

The pillow-cover 10 is adapted to fully enclose the pillow.

Pillow-cover Structure

The pillow-cover 10 includes an insertion-arrangement which comprises an end with an opening 20 through which the pillow is inserted.

The opening 20 of the insertion-arrangement is sealable. The pillow is inserted through the sealable opening and sealed in the interior of the pillow-cover 10.

In the embodiment, the insertion-arrangement comprises a zipper 21, shown in Figure 3. In other embodiments, the gap or opening of the insertion arrangement is sealed by sewing the opening in order to close the opening, i.e. a permanent seal.

Pillow-cover Material: Moisture

In the embodiment of Figure 1, most of the pillow-cover is made of a material that functions as a breathable, waterproof, liquid-and-skin-particle-barrier capable of preventing passage of liquid and skin particles into the interior of the pillow-cover 10.

To achieve this function, in the embodiment, the material of the rest of the enclosure-casing prevents airflow through the material. Instead, in the embodiment, the material only allows air to pass through, not by airflow, but, instead, by an air-transfer process that is significantly slower than air-flow. Without being limited by theory, it is believed that this slower air transmission process is, or is akin to, osmosis and/or diffusion. Throughout this specification, any references to osmosis or diffusion as the actual mechanism is not limited by theory, but merely an attempt to describe the significantly slower air-transfer through the examples of liquid-impermeable pillow- cover material used in the exemplary embodiment. In essence, the passage of air vapor through the polyurethane material is something different from the normal air flow that occurs through a porous fabric such as found on typical garments, for example, cotton fabric, and that it is significantly and substantially slower than that normal air flow.

The material of most of the pillow-cover 10 (except for the vent, described below) includes a layer of polyurethane 11, or substantially polyurethane sheet material 11. A characteristic of such polyurethane sheet material is that it is breathable or air-vapor- permeable, such that air can very slowly diffuse through it, however, it is, at the same time, waterproof such that water or liquid cannot seep or flow through it. In tests, when water is poured onto the polyurethane sheet used in the embodiment, no liquid passes through the sheet material. As an example, the pillow-cover 10 can be made of a breathable polyurethane sheet film. In an embodiment, by way of example only, the polyurethane sheet had resistance to water penetration (hydrostatic method) in excess of 1000 cm (i.e. 10 m). Such a polyurethane material is waterproof at hydrostatic pressures of up to 10 m head of water. This polyurethane material has a water vapor permeability of 913 g/m²/24h. This value may exceed the amount of insensible perspiration that can be expected for a typical adult. In other words, the polyurethane material of the embodiment provides sufficient moisture-impermeability, while at the same time offering air-permeability to allow air to enter the interior of the pillow-cover to keep the interior fresh.

An advantage of these characteristics is that air can enter the interior of the pillow because the material is air-permeable (i.e. not air-impermeable), however, the moisture that emanates from the head of the user cannot similarly enter the interior of the pillow. That moisture is blocked by the liquid-impermeable layer of polyurethane sheet material. When such a pillow-cover 10 is used to protect a pillow inside, the pillow is shielded from facial and head moisture, and thus the risk of moisture-staining of the enclosed pillow is minimized.

In particular, in the embodiment, the material of most of the pillow-cover 10 (except for the vent, described below) exhibits two characteristics: i) the material is moisture-impermeable, at least to the extent where the material prevents moisture from the user's head from penetrating into the interior of the pillow, that would otherwise impregnate the material of the pillow itself, as described above in the prior art preamble; and ii) the material is air-vapor-permeable. In other words, the material allows air vapor to pass through the material and into the interior of the pillow, for example, to allow air to have access to all parts of the surface of the pillow, in order to avoid staleness that can arise from lack of sufficient contact with air. Therefore, the material that is suitable for the material of most of the pillow-cover

10 (except for the vent, described below) should exhibit both of the above two features.

The moisture-impermeable as well as air-vapor-permeable material, firstly, allows air to enter the interior of the pillow-case to keep its interior fresh. Secondly, it prevents moisture from the user's skin from entering the interior of the pillow-case, thus avoiding long-term staining of the pillow that is inside, and, thirdly, the physically-impenetrable nature of the material prevents skin particles and dust mites from entering into the pillow case through the material, thus preventing or minimising the likelihood of the pillow becoming infested with dust mites.

Thus, the invention, in its broadest aspect, specifically excludes any pillow case that is made from an air-and-moisture-impermeable-material. Such a material would be unsuitable for the present invention because it offers only one feature (i.e. the moisture- impermeability), but does not offer the other of the two desirable features (i.e. it does not offer the air-permeability).

In other words, in any embodiment of the invention, it would be unsuitable to use an air-and-moisture-impermeable-material, because such an unsuitable material would possess the first of the above two features, but would not possess the second of the above two features.

Pillow-cover Material: Skin Debris

Another benefit of the polyurethane sheet material is that it lacks pores or holes, of sufficient size, that would otherwise enable skin debris to pass through the sheet to enter into the interior of the pillow-cover 10. Thus, the pillow-cover acts as a barrier which prevents the entrance of skin debris. As a result, without skin debris entering into the pillow-case, the risk of dust mites thriving inside the pillow-cover, and/or inside the pillow, is thus minimized. Membrane Layer

In Figure 5, the polyurethane sheet material 11 is covered by a layer of cloth or fabric 12, such as cotton or blended material. The dual layers are in the form of a fabric laminate. A cross-sectional of the laminate is notionally represented in Figure 5, although detail of the layers are not provided.

The fabric outer layer of the laminate provides the material with the appearance of conventional fabric, and to allow the user's face to rest against, for example, a conventional fabric 12, rather than directly against the polyurethane sheet material 11. For some users, if the outermost pillow-case surface — the part that touches the user's face and cheeks — were to be only of the polyurethane sheet material, some users may find that uncomfortable. Therefore, in the embodiment, the layer of cloth, which is laminated to the polyurethane sheet material, provides a more comfortable surface on which the user can rest his or her head.

In various embodiments, the cloth materials that can be laminated or joined to the "moisture-impermeable as well as air-vapor-permeable material" include, for example: terry toweling material, polyester etc.

In another modification, a suitable fabric-layer, for lamination to the polyurethane sheet material, is a knitted fibre made of eucalyptus wood material which has natural thermo-regulating properties. Such a fabric-layer has natural anti-bacterial properties without the need for added chemicals, and is beneficial for users who have very sensitive skin. The eucalyptus-wood-fiber is found to be cool in hot weather, and warm in colder weather. The wood-fiber also is very efficient at drawing away moisture from the user's skin surface, e.g. perspiration.

Preferably, the membrane, comprising the polyurethane-and-fabric laminate, is able to exhibit stretchability in all directions. This allows the material of the faces of the pillow-cover, to readily conform to the variable pressure of the user's face on the pillow. In other modifications, the material of the rest of the enclosure-casing, aside from the vent-arrangement, can be made from other materials apart from the polyurethane laminate, provided it has similar functionality. Vent: Avoidance of Ballooning Effect

Without being limited by theory, it is believed that air passes through the polyurethane sheet material 11 by a process of diffusion or osmosis (as compared to airflow, as is the case with conventional cotton or similar fabric), however, regardless of the precise description of the transfer mechanism, such material provides benefits as described above.

The upside of using the polyurethane sheet material 11 is that it acts as a breathable, Hquid-and-skin-particle-barrier capable of preventing passage of liquid and skin particles.

A potential downside, however, is that air cannot rapidly flow through the polyurethane sheet material 11. Air movement, perhaps by diffusion or osmosis (as discussed above) is far slower than airflow through porous conventional fabric found on conventional pillow cases. As a result, when the pillow-case, which is made of the polyurethane sheet material 11 is sealed by the zipper 21, or other sealing means, air can be trapped inside the pillow-case 10. Just as the polyurethane sheet material 11 only allows slow diffusion of air into the pillow-cover 10, it also only permits slow diffusion of air out of the pillow-cover. This means that, when the user presses, or compresses the pillow by lying his or her head on the pillow, the compressed air, trapped inside the pillow-cover 10, cannot rapidly escape through the walls of the cover (as would be the case in a conventional pillow-cover). Hence, if this problem were not addressed, the air would have to seep out through the zipper 21.

If this were to be allowed to occur, the pillow, when compressed, would feel to the user as if it akin to a balloon filled with air. If allowed to occur to a significant degree, the ballooning effect would cause discomfort to the user, who is forced to rest his or her head on a pillow that, even temporarily, feels like a balloon, at least until the entrapped air can escape slowly through the zipper.

Hence, in the embodiment of Figure 1, in order to avoid or substantially minimize this ballooning effect, the other end 30 of the embodiment is provided with a vent- arrangement in the form of a vent 40. Advantage OfA Vent

This vent 40 is not made of the polyurethane sheet material 11 that is used for the rest of the pillow-cover 10.

Instead, the vent 40 comprises fabric material which has a composition that allows faster air-throughput compared to the air-throughput capability of the polyurethane sheet material 11 that is used for the rest of the pillow-cover 10. Thus, when the pillow-cover 10 is pressed, the trapped air escapes rapidly through the vent 40. Any trapped air in the pillow-cover 10 can flow through the vent 40 to exit the pillow-cover 10 substantially faster through the vent 40, compared to the significantly slower rate of air-transfer achievable through the material of the rest of the pillow-cover.

Air, that has been trapped in the pillow-cover 10 when the pillow is inserted and sealed, is able to escape rapidly when the pillow-cover 10 and the pillow inside, are pressed in such a manner that air pressure in the enclosure-casing is temporarily increased. This happens, for instance, when the person rests his or her head on the pillow.

The vent 40 serves to avoid, or substantially reduce, the likelihood of the potential ballooning effect, by allowing entrapped air to rapidly exit the pillow-cover.

Fabric Panel Vent

In the embodiment of Figure 1, the vent 40 is not a physical opening, aperture, slit or other empty opening. If it were, such a physical opening could act as an entrance for skin debris. Moreover, such a physical opening, during sleep, could inadvertently be prised open by the user, thus potentially allowing skin debris from the user to enter the pillow case through such an opening.

Hence, in the embodiment of Figure 1, the vent 40 is in the form of a fabric vent, and comprises a material through which any trapped air can flow through to exit the pillow-cover 10. In the embodiment, the fabric vent is made entirely of fabric and is therefore, by definition, devoid of any structural or other physical components aside from the fabric material of the vent-arrangement. An advantage of this is that the embodiment avoids the need for vents that are in the form of physical structures that would appear unsightly. Traditionally, pillow cases are made entirely out of fabric, and the undesirable addition of a physical-structural vent would mar the appearance of the pillow. The vent of the present embodiment is made totally of fabric, so that the user does not realize that there is a vent. This is helped by the fact that the material of the fabric vent, and the material of the rest of the pillow case, aside from the vent, are both provided with identical color, pattern and ornamentation in order to not provide a visual indication to the user that the two materials are different. Thus, as far as the user is concerned, the fabric of the vent, and the fabric of the rest of the pillow case, are preferably visually- identical, whereas, in fact, the two portions are made of different materials so as to create a vent in the side of the pillow case.

Figure 6 represents a cross-section of the material used for the fabric vent.

To the user, the vent 40 is visually indistinguishable from the material of the rest of the pillow-cover 10, since the vent 40 is made of fabric, while the rest of the pillow- cover is a laminate material that has an outer layer of fabric as well.

For example, the vent 40 can be made of a piece of flat cotton, sheet-fabric, or other fabric through which air can flow through.

For the rest of the pillow-cover, apart from this vent 40, the entrapped air cannot exit through the walls of the rest of the pillow-cover 10. (As mentioned, the air- breatheability of the polyurethane sheet material 11 is believed to occur by the far slower process of osmosis or diffusion.) Hence, when the pillow is compressed by the user, the air will tend to exit the pillow-cover through this vent 40.

In the embodiment, the vent 40 is made from a panel of sheet material, however, in other modifications, the vent could be made of crimped material or other non-flat texture. Cover Flap

Since, in the embodiment, the vent 40 is made of porous fabric, through which air can flow, a corollary of this is that, potentially, skin debris and moisture may enter into the vent 40. For instance, the porosity of the vent material means that it is not waterproof.

In some modifications, the vent material may be made of a material that has surface tension characteristics that repel moisture, while having sufficient porosity to enable air flow to pass through.

In the embodiment of Figure 1, in order to minimize the entrance of moisture and/or skin debris into the pillow-cover 10 through the vent 40, the vent is provided with a flap 50.

In Figures 4A, 4B and 4C, the flap 50 is shown lifted up to reveal the vent 40 beneath, however, in use, the flap is designed to be laid flat over the vent 40 so as to provide a maximum of protection for the vent 40 against ingress of moisture and/or skin debris. The flap is preferably made of the same material as the rest of the pillow-cover 10, namely the polyurethane sheet material 11 and fabric laminate.

Structure Of The Pillow-Cover & Variations

In the embodiment of Figures 1 to 4C, the insertion-arrangement is at a distal end of the enclosure-casing, and the vent-arrangement is the opposite distal end of the enclosure-casing. In the diagrams, the end of the pillow-cover 10 that has the sealable opening 20 is opposite the end 30 that has the vent 40.

In other variations, the opening, through which the pillow is inserted, need not be at an end, and may be located laterally along a longitudinal side 31.

In the illustrated embodiment, the vent 40 is located at an end of the pillow-cover, however, in other modifications, a vent-arrangement is located on a lateral surface of the enclosure-casing, such as on the longitudinal sides 31.

In other modifications, there can be a plurality of vent-arrangements that allow exit of entrapped air. For instance, the vents can be on two longitudinal sides 31, or can comprise a row of several vents 40. In other variations, one or more vents can be anywhere, for instance, the vent can be directly proximate to the zipper 21.

There may be two vents, one at either distal end of the pillow-cover.

Adjustable Size of Pillow

In a modification, the amount of pillow-filler, or the amount of pillow-filler in the pillow that is inserted, can be varied by the user to vary the size of the pillow enclosure- casing in use. The user is able to open up the pillow and fill it with as much or little pillow-filler material, contained within the pillow-cover, to achieve a level of softness or hardness as desired.

The filler may be in the form of ball-fibre that forms clumps, so that the user can easily add or remove filler, as desired.

Pillows and Pillow-covers

In the above description, the embodiment has been described in the context of a pillow-cover, in which a pillow is inserted into the pillow-cover, however, other embodiments of the invention can pertain to the pillow itself, where filler material is stuffed directly into the casing, such that the vent 40 is on the pillow itself, rather than on a cover 10 for the pillow.

In the embodiment, the polyurethane laminate is considered waterproof, because, when liquid or water is splashed or poured on the laminate, the water cannot readily or immediately penetrate the laminate material. Hence, the degree of waterproofing is to be assessed under normal atmospheric conditions where most pillows are used for sleeping, rather than artificial high pressure atmospheres.

In this specification, the singular term "material" is not to be restricted to a material that is of single or uniform composition, but can also include materials that include multiple substances or components, such as composite materials, blends of different materials, multiple layers each of a different material, for example. Thus, the term "material" includes the plural concept of materials. The embodiments have been advanced by way of example only, and modifications are possible within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

In this specification, where the words comprise or comprises or derivatives thereof are used in relation to elements, integers, steps or features, this is to indicate that those elements, steps or features are present but it is not to be taken to preclude the possibility of other elements, integers, steps or features being present.

Claims

THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. A pillow enclosure-casing adapted to fully enclose a pillow or pillow-filler material inserted therein, the enclosure-casing comprising: a vent-arrangement through which air, that is trapped in the enclosure-casing when the pillow or filler is inserted and sealed therein, is able to escape rapidly therefrom; wherein the material of the rest of the enclosure-casing, aside from the vent- arrangement, is a material that is both moisture-impermeable as well as air-vapor- permeable; and wherein the material of the rest of the enclosure-casing, aside from the vent- arrangement, prevents airflow therethrough, and instead only allows air to pass therethrough by an air-transfer processes that is significantly slower than air-flow; and wherein the vent-arrangement comprises material which has a composition that allows faster air-throughput therethrough compared to air-throughput capability of the material of the rest of the enclosure-casing such that, in use, when the enclosure- casing is pressed, the trapped air is able to escape rapidly from the enclosure-casing through the vent-arrangement.

2. A pillow enclosure-casing of claim 1 wherein the vent-arrangement comprises a fabric material through which any trapped air in the enclosure-casing can flow therethrough to exit the enclosure-casing substantially faster through the vent- arrangement compared to the significantly slower rate of air-transfer achievable through the material of the rest of the enclosure-casing.

3. A pillow enclosure-casing of claim 2 wherein the vent-arrangement is in the form of a fabric vent through which air can flow, and which fabric vent is made entirely of fabric and is therefore devoid of any structural or other physical components aside from the fabric material of the vent-arrangement.

4. A pillow enclosure-casing of claim 3 wherein the material of the vent- arrangement and the material of the rest of the enclosure-casing, aside from the vent- arrangement, are both provided with identical color, pattern and ornamentation in order to not provide a visual indication to the user that the two materials are different.

5. A pillow enclosure-casing of any one of the preceding claims wherein the material of the rest of the enclosure-casing, aside from the vent-arrangement, functions as a breathable, waterproof, liquid-and-skin-particle-barrier capable of preventing passage of liquid and skin particles therethrough into the interior of the enclosure-casing, while its air-permeability allows air to enter the pillow enclosure-casing interior.

6. A pillow enclosure-casing of any one of the preceding claims wherein the air- transfer processes is significantly slower than air-flow and is, or is akin to, osmosis and/or diffusion.

7. A pillow enclosure-casing of any one of the preceding claims wherein the material of the rest of the enclosure-casing, aside from the vent-arrangement, comprises a polyurethane sheet material laminated to a fabric-layer.

8. A pillow enclosure-casing of claim 7 wherein the fabric-layer is a knitted fibre made of eucalyptus wood material.

9. A pillow enclosure-casing of any one of the preceding claims comprising an insertion-arrangement which includes a sealable opening through which the pillow or filler is able to be inserted into and sealed in the interior of the enclosure-casing.

10. A pillow enclosure-casing of claim 9 wherein the insertion-arrangement is at a distal end of the enclosure-casing, and the vent-arrangement is the opposite distal end of the enclosure-casing.

11. A pillow enclosure-casing of claim 9 or 10 wherein the insertion-arrangement comprises a zipper.

12. A pillow enclosure-casing of any one of the preceding claims wherein the vent- arrangement is located on a lateral surface of the enclosure-casing.

13. A pillow enclosure-casing of any one of the preceding claims wherein the amount of pillow-filler, or the amount of pillow-filler in the pillow that is inserted, can be varied by the user to vary the size of the pillow enclosure-casing in use.

14. A pillow enclosure-casing of any one of the preceding claims wherein the trapped air is able to escape rapidly when the enclosure-casing and the pillow or filler therein is pressed in such a manner that air pressure in the enclosure-casing is temporarily increased.